Cycloidal chariot



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 11 W1 D. ORONIN. GYGLOIDAL GHARIOT.

No. 567,581. P51511155 Sept. 15, 1895.

Z; %w Z27 f 01), 5 M M M11734 (N0 Model.) 2 SheetsSh,eet 2.

W. D. ORONIN. GYULOIDALUHARIOT.

No. 567,581. Patented Sept. 15, 1896.

UNiTEn STAT-ES PATENT r icEi WILLIAM D. ORONIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE CYOLOIDAL TRANSIT AMUSEMENT COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

CYCLOIDAL CHARIOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,581, dated'September 15, 1896.

Application filed November 28, 1895. Serial No. 569,958. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: being mounted upon, but not secured to, a Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. CRoNIN, a central axis or shaft 0, the ends of which citizen of the United States, residing at Philapreferably project for some distance beyond delphia, in the county of Philadelphia and the lines of the wheels. At various points 55 State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain near the periphery of the wheel are transnew and useful Improvements in Gycloidal verse rods or bars D, which serve to carry Chariots, of which the following is a specifithe various passenger-carrying carriages d cation, reference being had therein to the acand at the same time brace and support the companying drawings. large wheels and serve to keep them in proper 60 My invention relates to certain improverelative position. At a point parallel to the ments in that class of amusement devices line of travel of the shaft 0, and preferably forming the subject of an application for patslightly below the center of said shaft, is arent filed by me on the 24th day of December, ranged to one side of the pair of wheels a 1894, Serial N 0. 532,792 and it consists pringuiding-track F, which may be provided with 65 cipally in certain improvements in details of a suitable electrical conductor or may itself construction and in the method of operating be forn'iedof metal suitable for the purpose the apparatus, as more fully set forth hereinof conducting a current from a dynamo. On after. that end of the shaft nearest the guiding- In the application above referred to I have track F the shaft 0 is secured to a frame Gr, 70 described aform of cycloidal chariot in which carrying two wheels 9, placed one on either a pair of wheels of large diameter are secured side of the center of the shaft and adapted to to a common axis and carry a series of pasbear upon the guiding-track, so that as the senger carriages or coaches which, as the wheels travel these small guiding-wheels will wheels revolve and travel 011 suitable tracks, be traveled along the guiding-track and will 75 are traveled in an epicycloidal line, alterkeep the shaft from rotating. To this frame nately raising and lowering, and at the same G is also hung a wheel g, which travels time describing acircular and forward moveagainst that face of the track F opposite the ment. supporting-wheels and serves to keep such The principal objects of the present invenwheels in position. 80 tion are to provide for the application of On the central shaft O is hinged frame 11, suitable motive power for the operation of the 011 which are mounted two electric motors I, wheel, and, further, to so construct and arthe shafts of which carry pinions t', interrange the wheels with suitable supportingmeshing with the teeth of a large gear-wheel tracks that the wheels may be enabled to de- J, secured to one of the large supporting- 85 scribe a circle,'or, if necessary, travel in a wheels, so that the revolving movement of the continuous circular line in place of traveling armatures of the motors may be transmitted in a straight line, as described in the aboveto the supporting-wheels to drive the same. mentioned application. From the motors extend conducting-wires In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis to the wheels 9, which rest upon the track 0 40 a longitudinal sectional elevation on the line F and serve as a means for conducting a our- 1 1, Fig. 2, of an apparatus constructed in rent of electricity from the track tothe moaccordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is tor, or an ordinary contact-brush may be em a transverse section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. ployed for the purpose. 7 v a 1 Referring to the drawings, A A represent In some cases, where it is not desired to 5 the supporting-tracks arranged on a suitable place the conductor on the track F, a supplefoundation, and preferably flanged for the mental conductor K maybe employed at the purpose of aiding in keeping the wheels in opposite sides of the wheel, and the central position. shaft 0 is in such case provided with an arm The wheelsB B are formed of suitable rims L, carrying a trolley-wheel at its outer end 5 Z) and central hubs b, the hubs being united which bears upon the conductor.

to therims bytension-rodsb andboth wheels Above the frame H is a platform M, provided with suitable seats in which passengers may ride, although it is preferred to utilize this central position for a band of musicians to add to the enjoyment of the ride.

The chariots d are each pivotally hung upon the rods D in such manner that the Weight of the chariot will always insure its remaining in a position immediately below the bar to which it is attached.

In order to provide for the loading and unloading of the various passenger carrying chariots, the tracks A A are interrupted at intervals, say at the various stations along the line of travel of the wheel, and at these points are arranged a pair of supportingwheels S, so disposed that the upper portion of their periphery will be immediately on a level with the tracks, so that the carryingwheels may run from the tracks onto these smaller wheels and be free to turn thereon, the operator in the central ear H so operating the rotating mechanism as to slowly revolve the wheels and bring each of the passengercarrying carriages down to a position on a level with the ground or a suitably-arranged platform so that the passengers may be loaded or. unloaded.

As the momentum of the wheel is such that some difficulty is experienced in immediately stopping it at these stations, I preferably provide a swiveled lever T, carrying a wheel t, adapted to come into contact with the periphery of the large carrying-wheel and acted upon by a tension-spring which will tend to move the lever in a direction opposite to the line of travel of the larger wheel, and thus as the lever is moved back and the tension of the spring is gradually increased the travel of. the wheel will be stopped. Normally the lever is in a horizontal position, so that it will not interfere with the forward movement of the carrying-Wheels, and is only moved to the stopping position when it is desired to stop the supporting-wheels at that particularstation. Normallythesupportingtracks A A are extended in a straight line, but as in some cases it may be desirable to curve the tracks to travel the wheel in a circular line I provide on one of the larger carrying-wheels a flange U, forming a supporting-wheel, the diameter of this latter wheel being much less than the diameter of the larger wheels, the relative proportions of the two being increased or decreased in proportion to the radius of the curved track upon which it is desired to travel. The curved portion of the track V is on a plane considerably'higher than the plane of the main tracks A A, so that the smaller wheel may travel directly upon such curved track: V

and leave the main supporting-track without in any manner altering the position of the main carrying-wheel, and after the curve has been traveled the wheel V leaves this curved supporting-track, and at the moment of leaving the periphery of the main supporting-wheel again'comes into contact with the main supporting-track.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, a pair of supportingwheels, passenger-carrying chariots pivoted between said wheels, a central stationary shaft upon which said wheels may turn, a guiding-track for said shaft, a motor-carry ing frame hung from said shaft, a motor car-, ried thereby, and gearing connecting said motor to the wheels, substantially as specified.

2. In combination, the carrying-wheels, supporting-tracks therefor, passenger-carrying chariots pivotally hung to said wheels, a gear-wheel secured to one of said carrying- Wheels, a central stationary shaft upon which said wheels may turn, a motor-frame depend ing from said shaft, and a motor carried by said frame and geared to said gear-wheel, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the supportingwheels, a track therefor, a stationary shaft upon which said wheels may turn, a guidingtrack extending on a line parallel to the line of travel of the wheel, and guiding-wheels carried by the shaft and in contact with said guiding-track, substantially as specified.

4:. The combination of the carrying-wheels, supporting-tracks therefor, passenger-carrying chariots pivotally hung to said wheels, a

stationary hollow shaft on which said wheels may turn, an electric motor supported by said shaft and operatively connected to the supporting-wheels, an electric conductor, a trolley-arm carried by the hollow shaft, and conducting-wires extending from the trolley-arm through the hollow shaft, and from thence to the electric motor, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of the wheels, passenger-carrying chariots carried thereby, supporting-tracks for said wheels, said supporting-tracks being interrupted at the stations at which it is desired to stop, and supporting-wheels provided at such interrupted portions of the track to receive and support and permit the free rotation of the chariot-carrying wheels, substantially as specified.

I11 testimony whereof I afix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM D. C-RONIN. WVitnesses FRED. TAYLOR PUsEY, MARY S. SILK. 

